1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and compositions for use in producing comestible products having pleasing texture and flavor characteristics. In one aspect, the invention relates to the preparation of comestible products having crisp exterior textures and soft, chewy interior textures In other aspects, the invention relates to compositions and methods for applying and adhering topical materials which may be colored and/or flavored to comestible products and to the production of comestible products having exterior moisture and gas barriers which tend to maintain the organoleptic qualities of the product
2. Prior Art
The textural attributes of comestible products are important determinants of their acceptance by consumers. This is particularly true of snack food items such as potato chips, cookies and the like, in which texture plays an important role in the consumer's perception of the product Snack food manufacturers have learned that consumers are particularly fond of snack food items that display textural dichotomy or variety; that is, foods which exhibit two or more distinctly different textures within the same food item Textural variety may be combined with flavor variety to produce a product having pleasing organoleptic properties
One method of imparting texture, flavor and color variety is to apply particulate topping materials to a comestible product An example of such an application is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,555 to Becher et al., which describes the application of particulate topping materials to baked crackers. A problem which has been encountered when topical materials are applied to snack foods is that the topping materials may tend to fall off the product during shipping or handling and they frequently tend to rub off onto the hands of the consumer.
Various coating materials have been applied to snack food items in order to impart desirable surface characteristics, to act as carriers for flavoring materials or to adhere particulate toppings to the product. Generally, the coating materials used have incorporated fats or oils An example of such a coating is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,941, which describes the application of an edible oil-in-water emulsion to the surfaces of snack foods While such coatings may impart some desirable characteristics, the application of fats or oils to the product is undesirable if one wishes to control the caloric content of the snack food item. Furthermore, if the coating is fat- or oil-based, it may impart a greasy feel in the hand or the mouth. Aqueous coatings of the prior art tend to have high water contents Consequently, they require relatively large amounts of energy for drying. Additionally, undesirably large amounts of water may be absorbed into the substrate from the coating which can cause the substrate to become soggy.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,344,969 to Youngquist et al. and 4,455,333 to Hong et al. are both directed to methods of producing cookies having textural dichotomy. In particular, the cookies produced are said to have crisp, friable exteriors and soft, ductile interiors U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,333 discloses a method of preparing cookies having regions of crispy texture and regions of chewy texture which involves the use of layered doughs, each layer incorporating different types of sugars U.S. Pat. No 4,344,969 describes a process for making cookies having textural dichotomy which involves preparing a cookie dough containing a carbohydrase enzyme and a readily crystallizable sucrose-containing component, at least a part of which can act as a substrate for the enzyme to produce crystallization- resistant sugars; inactivating the enzyme in a portion of the dough; activating the enzyme in another portion of the dough; and baking the dough. While the two aforementioned patents describe methods which are said to produce cookies having dual textures, the procedures described are undesirably complicated. A further drawback of these procedures is that they rely on sugar crystallization to produce dual texture. Since this crystallization takes place as the cookie equilibrates, the cookie does not take on the desired dual texture for a substantial period of time after baking.